Rate Table Properties

Rate tables are contained in price components and define the charging behavior for price components.

Rate Table Properties lists the properties for rate tables.

Table 1. Rate Table Properties
Property Description
Name A descriptive name for the rate table. Rate table names are displayed in My MATRIXX and in the rate table definitions.
Description Information about the purpose of the rate table.
External ID (Optional) Use this field to identify this item in MATRIXX pricing items. An External ID is saved to the pricing configuration file and loaded into the Pricing Database. Set the External ID value to any alphanumeric character that is meaningful to your implementation. An External ID can be used, for example, to relate offers in the MATRIXX system to products in an external pricing plan. It can be used, for example, by the Subscriber Management API to query and purchase product offers and bundle IDs.
Quantity Definition The measured quantity on which the rate is based. One of:
  • None — Defines a rating formula as a constant amount, on a per-event basis, rather than as a scaled amount. Use None to define a constant amount for charges, discounts, grants, and meters. This option can apply to usage events, such as SMS messages, and non-usage events. This is the default.
  • Usage Quantity — Bases the scaled part a rating formula on the event duration or volume, such as the number of minutes used or number of megabytes downloaded. Charges, discounts, grants, and meters can be based on usage quantity. This option applies only to usage events, such as voice sessions and data sessions. For usage price components only.
  • Purchase Amount — Bases the amount on the initial purchase amount. For a refund price component, the refunded amount is the purchase amount. For a forfeiture price component, the forfeited amount is the purchase amount.
  • Balance Value — Bases the scaled part of the rating formula on the quantity in a specified balance, balance tag, balance class, or meter. If a balance class is selected, the combined value of all valid balance instances of that balance class is used (all balance amounts are summed). If a balance, balance tag, or a meter is selected, only its value is examined during rating. This balance, balance tag, or meter can be different than the balance, balance tag, or meter that is impacted by the rates in the rate table.
  • Field — Bases the scaled part of the rating formula on the quantity in a specified MDC field. The field can be in the network message or in the subscription, group, or device object. For example, you can charge a group monthly fees based on the number of subscriptions in the group by using the Group MDC's SubscriberCount field.
Applies To For discount price components only. Whether the discount applies to the original charge amount or the remaining charge amount.
Default Formula A formula that gets added to each row in the rate table automatically so you do not need to enter it manually. This is useful if you have multiple rates that use the same formula.
Default Rate Tag For charge components only. The rate tag to be set on all formulas in the rate table during price plan compilation. This is useful if you have multiple rates (in the charge) that you want associated with the same rate tag so you do not need to attach the rate tag manually to each row of the rate table. You can override the default rate tag on a rate-table row level. If no rate tag is specified, the default value is "no rate tag."
Override Rate Tag per Row For charge components only. Enables you to attach rate tags for each row of a rate table. When this option is selected, the decision table of the rate table displays the Rate Tag column in which to set the rate tag at the rate-table row level.
Note: You can set a rate tag per row without setting a default rate tag (all rows are not required to have a rate tag specified).
Default Beat For usage price components only. When the quantity definition is Usage Quantity, you can select a beat that is added to each rate table row automatically so you do not need to enter it manually. All rating formulas are applied on this default beat. To enable a rating formula to have a beat different from the default, select Override Beat per Row.
Balance The balance impacted by the rates. All rating formulas in a rate table can impact one balance class or one balance. To create a price component that impacts two balance classes or balances, you create two rate tables in the price component.
Show Attributes Toggles on and off the Rate Table Attributes pane and the Row Attributes pane, where you can add system attributes to rate tables and rate table rows.
Rate Table Attributes Displayed when Show Attributes is selected and enables you to add one or more system attributes to a rate table. To add a system attribute, select the attribute from the list and click Add.
Row Attributes Displayed when Show Attributes is selected and enables you to add one or more system attributes to a row in a rate table. To add a system attribute, click the rate table row, select the attribute from the list, and click Add.
Allow Charges to Exceed Credit Limit For charge components only. To allow a prepaid balance to exceed the credit limit (0) and a postpaid balance to exceed its current credit limit, select Allow Charges to Exceed Credit Limit. If you select Allow Charges to Exceed Credit Limit, select a balance class or a specific balance in Balance Impact. The balance cannot be an on-demand balance. To limit charges from rate tables that have Allow Charges to Exceed Credit Limit enabled, create an overdraft meter.
Note: For more information about how MATRIXX Engine determines whether charges are allowed to exceed the credit limit, see the discussion about exceeding credit limits in MATRIXX Pricing and Rating.